[In Tokyo] The facts of life.. Japanese style!
Current Sounds: Magic Knight Rayearth - Asu e no yuuki
I'm.. still in Japan. I wonder when I'll stop prefacing entries with that. If all goes according to plan, I'll be here for quite a bit. Now that I've slept, I'm feeling a bit better about everything in general, but it's all still a little daunting being here and facing all this 'future' stuff.
Today, I ate some convenience store yakisoba for breakfast, then went out to buy a new wallet (unfortunately, my American one is too short for the Japanese money, which sticks out by half an inch.. not very tasteful. I'm also tired of carrying a change purse around with me.. I want one built into the wallet). It's a nice wallet.. I'm happy with it. A bit expensive, but it's hard to find any wallets here under $50 that don't have Hello Kitty's face plastered on it.
After that, I went to a major train station and bought my tickets for tomorrow (to Nagoya) and Saturday (to Shunan, my new 'home'). As soon as I approached the window, I asked if English would be okay, which was met with a "no". Ooookay, so time to put my 4 years of Japanese to task. In all, ordering a ticket for a train isn't too difficult, except that I needed two different tickets and had to negotiate how I wanted to move my bags around (long story on that one). Can in $180 under budget on that one, which is definitely good.
After the train awesomeness, I went to Akihabara to engage in pure, unadulterated consumerism. Unfortunately (or fortunately..?), I suck at spending money and wound up just buying some gifts for my siblings (which I will mail tomorrow) and two Japanese books. Not a bad day, except for one thing: it's raining. And I really do mean 'raining'. It's not hailing, sleeting, or pouring. Conversely, it's not sprinkling. This, boys and girls, is a textbook definition 'rain'. It's kinda like putting all your clothes on, grabbing your valuables and putting them in a backpack, and then stepping into the shower. You can have an umbrella if you like, but it's only going to help so much. It should also be made clear that I've lived in a desert for 16 straight years, so me and this rain thing don't really understand eachother.
Now I'm back in my hotel room which is roughly 5'x7'. I wish I was joking. Unfortunately, I still have to talk to someone at midnight (7 hours from now), and I've run out of stuff to do. I'd rather avoid taking trains (did enough of that today), so I'll probably run around this part of Tokyo (Asakusa) for awhile until I get bored again. Alas, this is the 3rd time I've been here, so I'm pretty sure I know what to find.
Before I go, though, I leave you with a quick and dirty guide to surviving in Japan (do note that I'm not entirely serious):
1: Remember that you're sorry. All the time. For everything.. even things you didn't do. This should lead to many apologies, because everything you do is invariably inconveniencing other people.
2: Don't make eye contact. You did? Well, stop. Don't every do it again. Now, go read point 1.
3: Do NOT go down (or up) unmarked (or vaguely marked) stairwells that lead to shops. I know it says "book" on it. However, I assure you, it's a porn store. You're about to see some things that no one should ever see.. and while there will be books, they're not the kind you need.
4: Speak Japanese. You heard me.. do it. Start now. You don't need to do it amazingly, or on a native level, but it will save you from visa violations, uncomfortable questions, or weird moments that you wish you didn't end up in. How do I know this? I'd rather not say. However, if you know absolutely nothing, your best choice (other than leaving the country) is to just toss some Japanese words around and see what happens. It's like word-salad, but with less English.
5: Don't speak Japanese too well. I haven't figured this one out yet, but for some reason some people don't like you so much if you speak Japanese rather decently. It's really, really weird. This is more common with older people, though, so there's nothing you can do about it. However, the 'cute puppy' thing also wears off if you show that you're competent, so it's also helpful to kinda play on the "=D I ARE SPEAK JAPANESEING!" side of things if you're begging someone to help you with something.
6: STAND ON THE LEFT, WALk ON THE RIGHT. Enough said. Old ladies will run you down.
7: If you're in Osaka, reverse what I just said. Why? I don't know. Conversely, you could just never go to Osaka.
8: Japanese streets are like being on the East Coast. With everything reversed. With street signs you can't read.. and those are the 10% of streets that actually HAVE names. Basically.. don't expect to get anywhere unless you already know what it is, or the person you're with does. At least not in a timely manner. People (and police men) are walking maps.. be sure to ask. Besides, you remember point 4, right? Then be sure to double-check point 1.
9: Bicyclists ride on sidewalks. I have NO clue if this is legal, but I've never seen a bicycle NOT on a sidewalk, heading straight towards me, ridden by a 15 year old girl with a distant, Vietnam-style thousand-mile stare and a complete disregard for my safety. On a good day, she'll ring her bell as she comes screaming down the sidewalk, about to end your life. Whatever you do, be sure to move. If the bicyclist is coming up behind you.. well.. I hope you believe in at least one god, because it's about to get ugly, and you need all the help you can get.
10: If someone talks to you in English, waves, asks to take a picture, or basically does anything related to you not being Japanese that's remotely positive, go along with it. Why? Because it's fun. If people are excited because of something that takes you no effort whatsoever, who are you to complain? I appear in at least over 100 pictures by now (from my two previous trips to Japan) with people I don't know.
11: Enjoy yourself. For god's sake, you're abroad.. and in a safe nation, at that! Skim a book on visiting Japan, check the internet, and you're pretty much good to go. Of course, most of those books always feel mildly racist (putting all people from one country under one banner and saying what they like and don't like is kinda.. weird), but at least you'll have an idea.
12: Apologize again. Just remember that something, somewhere, is your fault.
Anyway, that's about it for now.. I'm gonna go run and get some food for tonight and buy something for the train tomorrow.. then run around and try to keep myself entertained until midnight.
THere's a picture attached under "more..". Just click it at the bottom of this entry and you got proof that I'm alive with some Japanese Mountain Dew (technically a spinoff of Mountain Dew, "Mountain Dew Max-Air 2", which tastes kinda like a Mountain Dew Sprite). What luck!
Jason on 06.02.08 @ 11:58 PM MST [more..] [1 comment]
In the land of the rising sun..
Well, I now officially live in Japan, as far as the Japanese government is concerned. Not a citizen, but a legal worker. I'm going to keep this short because I feel like total and utter hell (my life's going through a bit of a flux.. you know, moving across the glove) mostly due to the fact that I haven't slept in 38 hours. Turns out no matter what I do, I cannot sleep on airplanes. Sleeping pills? Been there. Sleep deprivation? Tried that. Both? Oh yeah.. but that was a dud too. It just means that I have a horrible 11 hour waking nightmare experience while I have no concept of what's really going on.. WHILE awake on the plane.
So.. yeah. I'm really tired, and trying to last as long as I can so I can get onto a normal schedule asap here in Japan. On a positive note, I already made a friend.. and in such a short period of time, too! It definitely helps to have someone to talk to while flying. Ostensibly, we'll stay in touch (exchanged contact info).
Also, my room has a refrigerator in it. For 90% of the 22 year old male population, this would have very alcoholic consequences. Me? I tracked down a new Mountain Dew brand in Japan and bought some yakisoba. Yeah.. that's how I role.
Anyway, I'll post pictures of me in my temporary hotel (I'm only here for 2 days) and other action shots soon.. but right now I feel like hell and am doing a pretty good job of looking it, too.
I'll write soon!
Jason on 06.02.08 @ 01:01 AM MST [link] [comment]
Entry from SFO
I'm here in San Francisco, waiting to board my flight to Narita, trying to remember why not sleeping was a good idea last night. I've slept about 20 minutes in the past 24 hours, and I tend to not be able to sleep on airplanes (even if it is 11 hours from here), so I don't really predict much success.
I don't really have a whole lot to say, other than that the finality of the trip I'm embarking on didn't hit me until I was on the plane, and I realized that unlike the last times I've flown abroad, I'm flying to go 'live', to go make a new life. Kinda... a weird feeling. I really have no idea what to make of it. It'll be fine with time, but.. wow. It's all pretty amazing... and shocking.
I'm gonna go back to reading and hoping to sleep on the plane. I can't post this now (no internet), but I will as soon as I get online (should be in about 14-15 hours).
Sleeeeeeeeeeep...
June 1st (Sun), 2008, 10:05 am
Jason on 06.02.08 @ 12:48 AM MST [link] [comment]
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